The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
Diesel engine fuel systems are sensitive to the presence of water and other contaminants in the diesel fuel. Since water does not provide the lubricity required for the tight fitting components of the diesel engine fuel system, the presence of water in the diesel fuel can cause wear on the components. In addition, water often contains biological and chemical corrosives that can cause degradation of the diesel fuel system components. As such, many diesel fuel systems use fuel-water separators to remove water and other contaminants from the diesel fuel.
Fuel-water separators are typically coupled to a fuel line between the source of the diesel fuel and the engine. Fuel-water separators typically include a reservoir that collects the water and other contaminants after they have been separated from the diesel fuel. While these fuel-water separators work well for their intended purpose, the reservoir needs to be interrogated to determine if the volume of captured water is such that it needs to be drained and serviced. One form of interrogation known in the art is periodic visual inspection through the optically clear reservoir of the fuel-water separator.
In recent years, electrically based sensors using electrodes have been added to the fuel-water separators to trigger a warning signal indicating that the reservoir needs to be drained. An electric potential is impressed upon these electrodes which is not conducted through the electrically non-conductive diesel fuel. However, when electrically conductive water is present, the electric potential is conducted through the water, thereby indicating the reservoir needs draining. While these electric sensors have worked well in the past, the electrodes of the electric sensors are possibly subject to some of the corrosive elements within the diesel and fuel contaminants. Therefore, there is room in the art for an improved non-conductive water sensing system.